It’s Not Today’s Government I’m Worried About
It’s tomorrow’s
As we wait for more details to pour in about the NSA’s domestic spying programs, it’s becoming unsettlingly clear that we’re looking at what has been called the tip of the iceberg in terms of just how comprehensive their data collection efforts have become. NSA representatives and apologetic congresspeople have been very careful in choosing their words when addressing the issue of domestic spying. Much of the justification has hinged upon the claim that technically, no laws have been broken, and that court ordered warrants are still required in order to tap a U.S. citizen’s communications for their actual content.
If it really were the case that phone call meta data were the only data being stored, allowing the feds to begin more invasively collecting actual communication content only once a court ordered wiretap was approved, that would be a much easier pill for the American public to swallow. However, if it is as some claim - that the NSA is actually storing as much actual communications content as it can get its hands on to be used only when needed - there is truly cause for concern. The concern being that “when needed” is highly subjective condition. Today, “when needed” may mean this data will be used only in the most obvious and extreme cases of suspicion such as for the Boston Bombing suspects. If this discretion fails to prevent yet more terrorist attacks, how much more relaxed will the condition of “when needed” become.
How many more terrorist attacks might it take for the electorate to vote even more hawkish politicians into office down the road? The fear of terrorism has proven a powerful distraction from the erosion of civil liberties. What might our government look like after another 9/11? It’s that government we should be worried about, not so much the current administration. The NSA and the representatives in congress who are defending their methods seem to have their hearts in the right place. I have no doubt they are genuinely interested in “keeping Americans safe”. What is troubling is their willingness to sacrifice our future to keep our present safe. Once we go down the path of allowing omniscient government surveillance it is one we may never be able to return from.
